Am I Being Extreme???

No, not really. I just want everyone to know where I come from and what my thoughts are when it comes to nutrition and my kids. This stems from a picture that I posted on facebook just a couple days ago. I got several comments from both ends of the spectrum, both vegan and non-vegan, which I expected. None of it bothered me. I found most of it to be funny. To give you a little background, both of my daughters are involved in competition cheer. My oldest is eight and my younger daughter is four. The gym was having “kick off” party that evening. Parents were told to bring some food for all the girls that were going to be there. I was told to bring dessert. While I was at the store, I picked up some watermelon and some vegan cookies.

I had tried these vegan cookies before and really enjoyed them. My daughter loved them too. While I knew that I’d catch flack for bringing a vegan dessert to the girls party, I didn’t really care. Being one of the founding memebers of C.L.E.A.N., I feel like it’s my duty to help steer kids in the right direction. And not just mine but as many kids as I can. I want all kids to live long, healthy lives. I knew that the girls at the cheer party were not going to be fighting over the watermelon and the cookies. Many of them probably went for the cakes and chocolate chip cookies that other parents brought. I just wanted to present a healthy option for those that wanted one.

My children are not vegan. I am the only one in my household that is. Other than my wife, no one else in my family has expressed any interest in going vegan. When I cook for my children at home, I do not feed them any meat. My oldest daughter has expressed interest in going vegetarian, which I’m fine with. I don’t want to feel like they are being forced to do anything. The one thing I do want them keep in mind is that I want them to be healthy and to have good eating habits. I know too many people in their thirties on meds that you only saw people 50+ years old on just a few years ago. A healthy diet may seem extreme but it isn’t, having open heart surgery is.

Nutrition is something that I feel is very important. It has given me a quality of life that I never imagined. When I eat well, I feel great. I remember walking out of a restaurants and feeling awful but thinking of how good the food was. Food is not supposed to do that. Food should make you feel great. When I feed my kids, I cannot in good conscience give them something that is bad for them. Especially when it’s something that I would not eat myself. I’m trying to instill good eating behaviors in my children. Not to say that they never have any junk food or never will but I try to keep that to the bare minimum. This blog, my social media pages and my involvement with C.L.E.A.N. have put me out there as a health and wellness advocate. I believe it’s my role to lead by example.